Zinfandel of the Month – 2013 Sky Vineyards Zinfandel Mt. Veeder

Zinfandel of the Month is a regular feature on Zinfandel Chronicles. Keep in mind that although the Zinfandel of the Month might be an older bottle, the current vintage will be one you can find at retail or via the mailing list.

I chose the 2013 Sky Vineyards Zinfandel Mt. Veeder as my Zinfandel of the Month because the winery recently released the 2016 and 2017 vintages of this wine. The wines are being packaged together as a 6 pack with the ’15 (two bottles of each) for $300. I’ve already bought mine.

Sky Vineyards, situated on Mt. Veeder, was founded in 1973 by Lore Olds. Lore purchased the property in 1972 and planted the Zinfandel shortly thereafter. The vineyard is dry farmed and for that reason the winery holds the wine back 2-4 years prior to release. Sky also produces a Syrah, Riesling and Rosé. Lore Olds designs the label for each new vintage. The winery flies under the radar despite selling fruit to Bedrock and becoming a cult favorite on WineBerserkers. The Olds family lost their house and a portion of the vineyard in the 2017 fires and deserve our support.

Dark crimson in color. 13.4% ABV. Pretty nose of tart red fruits, baking spices and earth. Medium body with perfect acidity and balance. Packed with crunchy red fruit. Salmonberry, cranberry, spearmint and earth on the palate. Nice length on the finish. Charming, Claret style Zinfandel that has aged well. Best over the next 1-2 years.

My rating: 91 points.

Sky Vineyards does have a mailing list which you can join by emailing skyvineyards@gmail.com. Sky can also be found at retail in a handful of states. Sky ships to California but works with a local warehouse to ship to other locations.

Sky is open by appointment and will do their best to entertain guests but bear in mind this is a family run winery so allow for a little flexibility when trying to schedule a visit.